I am on a roll. I was able to finish the latest chapter for Path of Waves in record time. After a break and time to review some study material, I started this chapter Monday evening and finished it Tuesday afternoon. So, after resting again and more studying, I can get started on Code Bakugan Brawler.
As for the chapter itself, as we're well and truly off the rails, I could do stuff I've experimented with in other stories but never fully utilized for one reason or another.
Chapter 52: The Estate
High above the lowlands to their west and northeast, where July's heat was only a nominal presence, sat a secluded path of hills in the Hidaka mountains. The closest settlement was 18km away, accessible through a long, winding, snow-covered road. Here, while it might have been the middle of summer, the air remained crisp and biting as if the ghost of winter clung to these hills.
Soft, silvery frost still adorned the rugged slopes, where large patches of lingering snow shimmered like scattered pears on the emerald carpet of alpine grasses as Japanese Zelkovas, Maples, and Ceders covered the land and hills in the thousands. For Pyre, the contrast was surreal as he observed delicate clusters of wildflowers in those forests and snow-covered patches, their vibrant seemingly resisting the deathly cold that sought to cover everything in white.
He let out a smoke-filled breath as he gazed over a landscape painted in muted blues and slivers. Gnarled boulders half-swallowed by snow peaking out, their surfaces etched and uneven thanks to Father Time and Mother Nature. In the distance, he could make out the craggy silhouettes of higher peaks that frame the scene, their summits obscured by a slowly shifting shroud of dark clouds, clouds that, if the weather was to be believed, would be bringing snowfall by evening.
The chill in the air seemed to deepen, and Koharu lazily snuggled closer to Pyre as Pyre increased his core heat to ward off the cold that came with a bitter, biting mountain breeze. She seemed to be the only one with an issue, as the local wildlife moved without little issue; long adapted for such cold conditions, they went through their day as they would any other, though they avoided where Pyre and the rest stood, surveying the land.
"You know, this place is pretty peaceful, makes the cold tolerable." Pyre mused.
"Speak for yourself," Slice shivered as she approached the woman wearing a thick winter coat and leggings glaring at the cold environment. I'm freezing over here. And don't you hate the cold?"
"The weather, but not the scenery." Pyre dressed as he always did, his body a walking heater.
"It's not so bad." Chimera was the same; a benefit of being large and covered with fur was that temperature changes didn't affect you as much.
"It's not a bad place to get away from how busy and messy things can get," Mummy noted, though he was wrapped up thicker than normal and seated by their portable electric heater. The Thunder had traveled and set up camp in the hills, using the trees and shrubs to cover them from anyone who could be on the watch.
"Which makes it a perfect spot to hide something important, " Nine said as he took a sip from his flask. He had made coffee that morning, which he had been slowly sipping throughout the day.
Pyre frowned as a building lay in the distance, hidden by the trees and built to blend into the environment. It didn't look like much and could easily be some rich guy's second home. Though they had been told otherwise. "You think that this is the place?"
"According to the client, yes." Nine glanced over to him.
"Still, the entire thing feels…off," Chimera stated, reaching for his pocket and pulling out a cigar, lighting it and dragging a drag from it, puffing smoke.
"Believe me, I understand the feeling." Nine and the rest thought back to when they got this job.
Nine had only been back in the couple a couple of days, and in that time, he was able to relax, spend time with the rest of them, have a proper Japanese meal, and, after learning of Izuku's idea, had agreed to get a tattoo as well. It was hard to say now when Izuku and Koharu looked so hopeful when they asked.
But business always returned, and the Thunder, now whole, went out to handle the trade with Giran. They didn't meet in an old warehouse or dilapidated building; instead, they walked into an old shopping mall. Its exterior hides the truth that lay beneath. That being a thriving commercial hub. Around them, storefronts had been repurposed to host new sellers and wares, while others set up smaller stales and peddled their wares to any that would listen.
At first chance, it would make no sense why they could walk about such a place, especially when it was still daylight. After all, it was an informal market filled with people who would see and report them. But that first glance was misleading. It was true that the place was an informal market, but a look at what was being done revealed the truth. Most of it was illegal products. Weapons, drugs, tools, anything that could be bought and sold but wasn't legal could be found here.
This was just part of Japan's criminal underworld. A secret society of criminals, gutter trash, or just the unwanted or unlucky could find themselves. There was no written code here, but rather the law of the jungle, and one of the most important was mutual destruction. Everyone who partook understood that to rat out anyone else could and, in most cases, did lead to unfortunate accidents. Of course, heroes were a persistent bunch, but that was why places like this were a dime a dozen, capable of being set up in a night and gone just as fast.
Walking through, the Thunder were immediately recognized, many clearing their way or bowing their heads as was expected when confronted by such stars of the underworld. Even when Pyre tried to be friendly, most remained nervous, if not more so, as they all knew Pyre could smile and laugh like a child as he set you ablaze. His smile did not mean you were safe; it only made him unpredictable.
Lucky for the rest of the gathered, a literally mousy woman dressed like an underpaid secretary approached the Thunder. Bowing her head, she greeted them. "Welcome. We're so glad you could make time for this in your busy schedules."
"Is Giran already here?" Nine asked, looking the woman over. While she seemed terrified and skittish, he could tell from her legs that she was in good shape. Also, he could see that her heels weren't just reinforced but had steel tips, the same as Slice's, which meant she could pierce a man's skull with a single strike.
"Yes, of course. Allow me to show you where the auction will take place." She rose from her bow and quickly led them through the mall. The group entered an old theatre, the opening still showing signs of what it once was like, the movie posters still on the walls but ripped and faded, and the confection stand, which had an empty popcorn machine.
There were others, but they dressed cleaner than most of the people outside. Not necessarily in suits, they clearly wanted to present a more put-together image as they entered one of the theatres. They were led up towards what had to have been the manager's office, where they found their sly, slippery broker waiting for them, a lit cigarette balanced on his lips.
"Hey there, Nine. Hope you had a nice trip." Giran stood to greet the man, offering him a hand to shake.
"It was eventful. So, have they all gathered?" Nine replied as he shook the man's hand, Giran chuckling as he stepped back.
"Yup, gotta tell you, it was easy to find people interested; there's a lot of black guilds that want to get their hands on this stuff," Giran told them, as while things had been calm after the strongest creatures took each other out, the calm had passed. Both sides were scrambling to fill in the gaps in their ranks and take further territory from the other side.
Pros across Japan were patrolling a lot more. Still, villains were also much more active as the shadow that was All Might was gone, and while there were plenty of pros still around, none could inspire that level of dread in their criminal hearts. And plenty of those villains wanted to get quality support items.
They all made perfect sense to Pyre as he pets Koharu's head. "I mean, it's all from I-island, most of their inventions take years to hit the black market. If they can study these prototypes and create their own." Sure, a lot of them weren't meant for field use, but how long would it take for those mechanics and eggheads from solving the kinks.
"They'll be making real big names for themselves and racking in more money than most would have seen in years, and they might even open Japan up to more contracts from abroad." Giran smiled, as that would be a real lucrative time for him.
"With All Might finally retired, plenty of groups are eager to compensate for lost time." Slice crossed her arms.
"True, true," Giran took a puff of his cigarette, finishing it before pressing it into his ashtray and getting up. "Well, let's get on with things. Shall we? My assistant here will lead you to your VIP seating. Please, enjoy the refreshments." The entire time they had spoken, they had forgotten that the mousy woman was present, or maybe she had just blended so well into the background that they forgot she was there. A good skill for what Nine was sure was one of Giran's bodyguards.
Still, bodyguard or not, the woman didn't complain as she led them towards where the projector room used to be. It had been converted into VIP seating, with lavish chairs, a table, and a servant waiting for them. Looking over the space, they saw no reason to refuse the generous offer, especially when it kept them out of sight of the bidders.
Ordering drinks, they didn't need to wait long for the lights to dim and Giran to stroll up to the front. Tables had already been set up with the merchandise placed on them, all covered with cloths.
"Well, thanks for coming, people. Today, we're doing something a little different. Normally, all of you are the ones selling your products, but today, I have some premium products straight from I-island on sale." Giran didn't need a mic, not when he could project his voice well enough despite what people claimed would be the consequence of his smoking habit.
Besides, his reminder of why the gathered people were present kept their attention. Many came from the same guilds, others independent. Old hats or young dogs, it didn't matter. They all wanted a piece of what was the promised land for support items and took the risk of attending because Giran wasn't a man who could like with a smile, but when it came to business, he was good as gold.
Giran even went the extra mile. When he snapped his fingers, jaw-dropping beauties, women dressed as bunny girls or hunks wearing shorts and bowties, came out, adding some spice to the show.
Another snap of his fingers and one of them winked towards the audience as she walked towards the first item. She removed the cloth, revealing a pill-shaped helmet. Giran picked it up and held it up for the viewing crowd.
"The first one will start with a helmet with over 36 different sensors, giving the user complete 360-degree vision around them. As you can all tell, it's compact and lightweight, and I can think of a few clients who would want eyes in the back of their heads. So, let's start the bidding at 2 million, yet do I hear 2.1…" Giran hadn't even finished when most of the hands went up, and his smile grew wider as he knew he would be making bank.
Chimera was glad that they had arrived right after midday, as the auction went on for over three hours. This was not for nothing, as Nine and Pyre's haul from their last job together was massive. Most of it was stuff that people would pay an arm and a leg for, which was reflected in the intense bidding war.
As bids grew into the tens of millions for single items because those who desired them believed that they could turn massive profits if they were the ones who knew how they worked and could, therefore, produce gear like it, Chimera and the rest sipped their drinks and enjoyed the show….well, almost all of them. Pyre refused to order anything and instead went with a tub of ice cream, which he curled up and devoured like a happy smile.
It wasn't just smaller items that were on auction; tools and equipment so large that they would take two men to lift were also on the table, and they were highly coveted by those in attendance. When the last item had been secured by a gleeful older woman who was crackling about the money she could make, Chimera figured that over 140 million in bids had been spent.
When Giran met him again in his office, the man cheerfully went through his accounts, many of which had just wired the funds instead of handing over physical cash. "Now, that was a good auction. We moved just about everyone we had."
"You're walking away with 15% of that, so I expect you to be happy. I assume that you'll be spreading the word among others that they can expect better quality items." Mummy stated as Chimera did the math in his head. Twenty percent was going for overhead and paying for the venue, which would leave them with over 111 million, but Giran's cut would be a little over 16.6 million, which left them with over 94 million.
Not a bad deal and Giran certainly seemed happy with that arrangement.
"I would never do something like that," Giran smirked at them.
Pyre raised his hand. "But you would say that such items could only be acquired through you and your network?" He chirped, eager to show off how much he had come to learn things work in the dark where heroes didn't venture.
Giran's smirk grew slightly more sincere, but the man still laughed at the comment. "Now, that is something I would do. I'm a middleman, so I need to make sure people come to me for all their needs in this trade."
"Well, it was nice coming, but I want to leave." Chimera grunted as he and the rest turned to leave. They'll get their money in a few days, and then they can plan their next move.
"Hold it," Giran stated, his tone dropping any pretense, his amusement now being a blade coated in a pillow. When he saw them turn back to him, he continued. "That wasn't the only reason I asked you all here; you got another job offer."
"From who?" Nine asked.
Giran leaned into his seat, drumming his fingers across his desk. "That's the interesting part. I have no idea."
"What?" Nine's brow creased while the rest were more expressive in their shock.
"Isn't it your job to know things?" Mummy asked the man, who took no offense
"It is, but that doesn't mean I can learn everything. Occasionally, things slip through the cracks, or someone is exceptionally thorough at covering their tracks." Giran stated that the last part kept their interest as while Giran was no wizard when it came to personal info, he had contacts with people who were, and if none of them could get clues to this buyer, that wasn't something to be ignored, especially when they tracked down Giran at all. It wasn't like the man had a website with a phone number and email.
"And how do we know this isn't the heroes?" Slice asked.
"Heroes don't typically deliver the severed hands of rats to prove a point, " Giran said, explaining to their shock that they didn't just find him; they found one of his officers, one that he frequented because he had believed it to be secure.
There was no sign of forced entry, and the locks didn't appear tampered with. But when he and his…associate came in, they found the present that wasn't there when neither had last been inside. Attached to it was the request, typed out and folded into a letter. And in the box? Three sets of human hands, all with the names of the person they came from carved into the flesh.
"Brutal," Chimera noted.
"Gross is more like it." Slice shivered as they'd be hell to pay if someone did that to them.
"The pretty young lady is right on the money; normal folks never stop to think about how much of a hassle it is to clean up something like that." Giran was quite familiar with…disposing of evidence, but the fact that they were dealing with someone willing to go that far was why he was going about his business with his assistant, Fumiko, front and center.
"So they proved they weren't heroes, or they're willing to go the extra 10 miles to act like they aren't. What's the job?" Mummy asked as he leaned against the wall.
"They need you to storm a facility up north and recover something from it. A child." Giran replied, which confused them.
"They want us to kidnap someone. I assume you told them we wouldn't accept such a job even if they paid top dollar." Pyre shook his head; they weren't going to do something like that.
"Naturally, but that's where things get interesting." Giran started, opening his desk drawer and pulling out the folder. "They want you to rescue the kid."
He handed it to Slice, the woman having used her hair to grab it and bring it over to read. As she did so, Giran explained things to the rest of them. "Apparently, they came from a really poor family, like stupidly poor, and they could barely care for them. But they had a pretty impressive quirk, so their parents were given an offer."
"Sell their kid and get a massive payday." Slice glared at the folder as she read that part, memories of father surfacing, causing her hair to instinctively turn into blades.
Giran nodded. He wasn't a good man and wouldn't pretend to be, but he liked to think he was a principled crook. Someone who had his limits, things he wouldn't cross, and one thing he didn't touch with a 10-foot pole was human trafficking.
You had an issue with someone? You get them arrested, you framed them for something and watched the fireworks, you fired guys to beat the ever-loving shit out of them, robbed them. Hell, if they really pissed you off, you had them iced. That was it; done was done, and the guilty party was handled. But to traffic people, force them into slavery for profit or sick joy?
That left a bad taste in his mouth, and the fact that it was done by the parents of a 7-year-old kid just made it worse. "That was it, only that their kid's uncle had no idea about this and demanded that the child be returned. The man was even willing to fork over the paid sum out of pocket, but they refused."
Giran looked into it. The man was a pretty high-ranking supervisor at Deternet. He made good money but was estranged from his brother and his nephew. He was not estranged enough to stand by, and he heard about this.
Nine's frown grew all the more pronounced, though something was missing here. As much as he wouldn't mind bringing down the wrath on Thor onto such deplorable people, it was strange that this ended up in front of them. This was the kind of news story the heroes would love, a success story to show that they could handle things even without All Might.
So he voiced that thought. "Why not go to the police then? Seems like a pretty open-and-shut case of human trafficking to me."
"I knew that the commission was dirt, like so much else, but I would have thought them above this." Mummy's wraps rose off his body, mimicking his indignation at the memory.
"Well, thus far, the intel has proven itself accurate. And we've only tracked 4 vehicles coming and going over the last 2 days." Nine closed his eyes in thought, as they had been camping there for the last 3 days. 3 days of snow, rain, and bitterly cold mountain air. But it was necessary as just finding this place was a miracle. How the client did so was beyond him, but it implied they had access to considerable resources, either not the means or stomach for an open attack on it.
Pyre spat out a cloud of heated smoke, his eyes glaring at the target building so hard they half-assumed he revealed never-before-seen heat vision. "It doesn't matter; somewhere in that place is a lost child with someone who loves them. They can bring all that they want; it won't matter."
Nine hummed. After finishing his drink, he went to his tent to grab a book to read. He would be taking first watch after all. "Well said, but you all should get some rest. We'll strike at dusk. It should start snowing by then, which will help cover our approach."
The others dispersed, Slice sitting by the heater, snuggling into Chimera to use him as a human blanket. Still, Pyre remained rooted in place, his gaze never leaving the target, as if willing time to move faster so he could storm it. "You good?" Mummy asked, approaching him.
Pyre frowned, turning towards him with a look of rage, sorrow, and disbelief. "No, I'm not. It… just doesn't make sense. So many powerful kids already want to be heroes; they fit into society. Why would they do this when they had willing future pawns?"
He had spent the last few days trying to make sense of it, but no matter how he approached it or what logic he used, he just couldn't comprehend what drove someone to do this. Even if the commission had done nothing, odds are, a kid with a powerful face and, from the report, conventional appearance, personality, and desires would have become a hero on their own.
Mummy frowned, wondering how he should word this, as, yeah, that was a tough one—one that he was painfully familiar with. "I learned growing up that plenty of things have reasons, hows, whats, and whys." Mummy had been fighting since he was a kid because he had to because he didn't have someone who would fight for him.
"But I also learned that, at times, the most important stuff has no explanation. Someone just did it because they did it. You or the world didn't do jack shit to them, and yet, they decided to make that your problem."
His parents had died in a car accident, with no rhythm or reason for it. One reason is that they had been crossing the street, happily talking about what they'd do when they got home. The next, his mother is screaming, and his father is shoving him out of the way of the runaway pickup truck. There was no intent but negligence, as he later learned that the driver was on his phone and missed a red light.
After that, well, the weird kid was now the weird orphan. And each fight he won to protect himself seemed to only inspire further fights. He could try to speak up, try to convince people he wasn't a threat, that he just wanted to be left to his business, but it was like they took his lack of desire to fight as an insult that could only be corrected through beating.
Wash, Rince, dry, and repeat for years. Some days, Mummy even forgot why he was fighting; he had stopped caring after a while.
But…that changed when he met the rest of them. It wasn't peaceful; they still fought, and people still feared them…but now he had a reason to fight outside, just basic survival. He had a goal, but also people that stood by him. However, that didn't change the rest of the world. "Maybe they got some reason for the madness; maybe they just want to start earlier so that they don't miss out on potential weapons like you."
Pyre turned a half-hearted glare. "I'm not a weapon."
Mummy nodded and Pyre for the idea that he was smiling under those bandages. "I know that your scaled friend knows that; the rest of us know that, but the rest? The rest of the world doesn't see that, and that's what I'm talking about. That's why we're here: because someone thought this kid could become something powerful if given training and brainwashed in their ways."
"That is why we're here to stop it, and anyone that gets in our way will beg for the cold over what we can do." Mummy's eyes wrinkled a bit of vindictive glee showing through, one match by how bright Pyre's eyes got.
As the sun continued on its journey through the sky, and morning rays shifted to afternoon heat and finally into a star-lit evening sky, the ever-present chill that had blanketed the hilly, snow-dusted landscape only grew more piercing and powerful. The rolling dark clouds above, which had been gathering steadily through the day, finally rumbled and then whistled before slowly, snow started to fall over the land.
From his small guard post, a lone sentry watched the solitary road that wound and twisted through the hills leading up to the small estate he guarded, part of several other security. The sun, which had been a balm in this cold environment through the day, was fading west; it wouldn't be long before it vanished.
The sentry thought it incredibly unusual to see snowfall in the middle of summer, even for a place as far north as Hokkaido. Still, the weather report noted that such was expected this year. It would be beautiful if it wasn't so damned uncomfortable.
His cramped post suffered from all government buildings not used by someone with connections or a fat cheque. Despite being built here, its walls were thin, making it easy for the cold to get in. Frost built up on the windows, which he would need to clear away, something that the winter team had said was always a pain. Wrapping his thin coat around him tighter, he had to rely more on the feeble electric heater he got in town a week ago to drive away what cold it could.
Fighting the shivering, he wondered how he got here. When he applied to the HPSC, he thought he would work with heroes, or at least meet a couple cute ones, a dream he knew, but there was a chance. 'A dream with insane odds.' He thought that when he was approved, he spent his time guarding buildings that heroes didn't go to, but he worked hard, followed orders, and made himself into an exemplary security guard.
Fighting back the shiver as his breath misted in the cold, he recalled that his work ethic and performance had garnered him attention from the higher-ups, but instead of a job at the main office or just getting the chance to have cute co-workers, he was sent here—to the middle of nowhere to help guard some stupid building.
He didn't even know what it was for or why the commission was operating it. Speaking with other members of the security, who, to his dismay, were all dudes, he learned everything was on a need-to-know basis, and as someone with only level 3 clearance, he wasn't permitted to know what the site's purpose was.
Like that wasn't suspicious at all. What business did the agency charged with supervising heroes and their affairs with a black site built so far out of the way? He didn't have anyone to talk to but bet with himself that they were researching quirks or something.
He picked up his book to continue reading when there was a tap on the glass. He groaned, but he couldn't keep them waiting as it could be his supervisor. Perhaps it was complacency, maybe it was the cold, maybe it was something else. Whatever it was, the result was the same. The sentry forgot to confirm who it was outside.
"Hey, I'll clear the glass just-!" The sentry was seized as a large-scaled hand grabbed him by the face and held him up like he weighed nothing. She struggled, his legs kicking about as he punched and grabbed at the arm, but it was like trying to break the stone.
Chimera smiled as he watched the poor bastard struggle, knowing that he wouldn't be able to escape if he had a quirk or trick for it; it would have used it by now. "Sorry about this, well, not really." He promptly slammed the man into the snow-covered ground to the frozen dirt below, dazing the man before Chimera punched once, knocking him out and probably leaving him with a concussion.
With him out of the way, Chimera picked him up and looked into the cramp guard station before he found what it was looking for: a hand-held radio. Turning it on, he smiled when he heard reports from around the place.
After gagging and restraining the guy and putting him back into the post to keep him from freezing to death, Chimera let out a piercing series of rapid, high-pitched, metallic "kik-kik-kik". Repeating it, he didn't fear that the facility would take note. Why would they do it when it perfectly mimicked the call of an Eurasian goshawk, a common bird in the area?
Responding to his call, Slice and Mummy, who had taken to opposite sides of the facility, sprung into action. They ascended the falls, using snow they piled up and their quirks, and went to work. Using the stolen radio, Chimera fed them info on where the guards were, allowing them to take them out quietly.
The uniformed men never know what hit them; one by one, they went about their patrols, keeping an eye out for anything, only to be gagged and restrained by red hair and bandages shooting out from corners and the shadows, dragging them away in seconds, trying to scream yet no-one heard. The snow made it easier for these men to vanish, as the two would mess with it, leaving no signs of disturbance or struggle.
Chimera smiled as he kept feeding them information until, at last, someone noticed the incapacitated personnel's lack of responses. Confusion formed and bubbled as the remainder, those deeper into the facility, wondered about them until one ordered them to calm down and that he'd send people out to investigate while putting them on alert.
That was their queue. Walking up to him from where the three had hidden, Pyre looked at the unconscious man before turning back to Chimera, who nodded as he led him in. Nine kept focused on the mission, and with a simple gesture and his eyes going from grey to glowing red, the weather shifted. The snowfall grew worse as the winds picked up. Within moments, a snowstorm had fallen on the area.
The doors to the building opened, and three guards emerged, caught off guard by the severity of the storm, which, unknown to them, only covered the immediate area of the facility. "What the heck? The weather didn't say this would happen?"
"Is this why they haven't responded?" another asked, as they had to yell just to hear one another and could hardly see a few meters in front of them.
"Just find them!" the third yelled, as this was strange, and he had a half-mind to report it. Weather aside, their communications had been weather-proofed for such conditions. Even if there were issues, for 11 people to go silent was an anomaly.
With how dark it was, when something lit up, they all noticed and looked up just in time to see a massive green fireball barrelling toward them.
Chimera: Why does the plan need me to mimic animal sounds when we have a radio?
Izuku: Because it's so cool that your quirk allows you to do all that stuff!
Slice: He's not wrong; you're a perfect fusion of the animal kingdom.
Nine:…
Mummy: Will you keep silent?
Nine: I agree smug :)
The next chapter will be out April 2nd
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